In 2015, we are pretty cynical about any type of television that would fit in the broad spectrum of "reality."
But Pimp My Ride aired between 2004 and 2007, before we got so hardened. And happy-go-lucky host Xzibit seemed like such a genuine fellow.
However, a report by the Huffington Post, based on a Reddit AMA, has revealed that the MTV show was anything but genuine. The website spoke to three kids who had had their ride pimped on the show. This is what they learned:
- Some of the additions to the cars were just for the show and were removed right after the taping was done. - The additions that were left in tended not to work. This was especially true of the television screens and gull-wing doors. - Some of the additions adversely affected the cars ability to drive, and there was a tow truck driver on hand. (MTV responded to this by saying most of the cars were old and would have had trouble no matter what.) - The inside of the cars tended to get a lot less attention than the outside. - Although the show made it seem like the cars were pimped in a few days, they were actually in the garage for up to seven months. Which could be a problem if you needed your car. - Most of the show's famous reaction shots were staged. - At least in these three instances, the back-stories and interests of the contestants were made up.One of the contestants HuffPost spoke to said MTV producers dumped bags of M&M's in his pre-pimped car, which he believed was a dig at his weight. Another said producers advised him to dump his girlfriend on the show so it could seem like his newly pimped ride made him a player.
Despite all this, the three Pimp My Ride alums said they enjoyed the experience. They also had good things to say about Xzibit, whom they not surprisingly suspected of being high the whole time.
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